Instant promotions: Switch jobs and make sergeant, staff sergeant

Aug. 4, 2014 - 06:00AM
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A broadcast specialist interviews a paratrooper at Fort Bragg, N.C. This public affairs job is among several hot MOSs that could earn you an instant promotion to sergeant. (Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite/Army)

A broadcast specialist interviews a paratrooper at Fort Bragg, N.C. This public affairs job is among several hot MOSs that could earn you an instant promotion to sergeant. (Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite/Army)

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Seven priority MOSs have been approved for automatic promotions to sergeant and staff sergeant for qualified soldiers of the Regular Army.

The military occupational specialties fall under the engineering, electronic warfare, cyber defense, intelligence, public affairs, contracting and signal fields.

Soldiers who participate in the newly updated Special MOS Promotion Alignment Program, or SMAPP, will be promoted on the first day of the month following reclassification training and the award of the new MOS.

Applicants do not have to be on a promotion list for sergeant or staff sergeant, but they must meet the requirements.

In this regard, applicants must be graduates of the appropriate NCO Education System course for their rank, and meet the minimum time-in-grade and time-in-service requirements for promotion to the next higher rank.

Additionally, applicants must be endorsed by the first lieutenant colonel in their chain of command.

Specialties for promotions to sergeant:

12P, prime power production specialist. This engineer MOS is for soldiers who supervise, operate, install and maintain electric power plants and associated systems and equipment.

Specialists and corporals can request reclassification without regard to the in/out calls, provided they meet the application prerequisites and qualifications for this priority specialty described at www.usace.army.mil/primepowerschool.aspx.

Reclassification training for this MOS requires completion of a demanding 12-month course of study at the Prime Power School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Upon approval of the reclassification request, and before the beginning of training, soldiers must re-enlist or extend to meet the 30-month service-remaining requirement incurred upon award of MOS 12P.

29E, electronic warfare specialist. This high-tech MOS is for soldiers who are trained to counter the threat of remotely controlled improvised explosive devices and other hostile uses of the electromagnetic spectrum, and to provide commanders with guidance on how the electromagnetic spectrum can affect operations.

For eligibility criteria and application procedures, soldiers should contact their local career counselor.

Upon approval of the reclassification request, and before departure for training, soldiers must re-enlist or extend to meet the 36-month service-remaining requirement for the award of MOS 29E.

35L, counterintelligence agent. This military intelligence MOS is for soldiers who supervise and conduct surveys and investigations to detect, identify, assess, counter and exploit foreign intelligence services and terrorist threats to national security.

Soldiers in the ranks of specialist and corporal can request reclassification without regard to the in/out calls for their current MOS, provided they can meet the strict application criteria, including the requirement to have a top secret security clearance.

46R, broadcast specialist. This public affairs specialty is for soldiers who research, prepare and disseminate information through news releases and radio and television products. Soldiers typically perform as writers, reporters, editors, videographers, producers and program hosts for radio and TV productions.

Soldiers must complete MOS 46R training and the Public Affairs Advanced Leaders Course to qualify for reclassification.

For more contact your local career counselor.

Specialties for promotions to staff sergeant:

51C, acquisition, logistics and technology contracting NCO. This Acquisition Corps specialty is for soldiers who serve as contracting specialists.

Sergeants who require credit for the Advanced Leaders Course upon reclassification to 51C must complete the common core phase of ALC before attending MOS training. The 51C course has been approved as the ALC equivalent for the MOS.

Soldiers incur a 60-month service remaining obligation upon completion of training and the award of the MOS.

25D, cyber network defender. Soldiers serving in this signal MOS are defenders against unauthorized activity in the networks and cyber domain used by the Army and other U. S. military activities.

Sergeants may request reclassification to this new MOS regardless of the in/out calls for their current specialty.

Soldiers must be conditionally accepted by the personnel development office of the Army Signal Center, and receive approval to take the 25D In-Service Screening Test. Approval memoranda should be forwarded to a soldier’s career counselor to a obtain a reclassification control number.

■25E, electromagnetic spectrum manager. This signal MOS is for soldiers who determine frequency requirements for units and assist in the design of supporting communication networks.

Soldiers may request reclassification to this specialty without regard to the in/out calls for their current MOS.

Sergeants who require credit for the Advanced Leaders Course upon reclassification to 25E must complete the common core phase of ALC before attending MOS training. The 25E course has been approved as the ALC equivalent for the MOS. For more contact your career counselor.